Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made in relation to a vaccine against bovine tuberculosis.

Lord Benyon: Developing a vaccine against TB in cattle is one of the Government’s top priorities and will complement the already existing use of BadgerBCG. Defra aims to have a deployable cattle TB vaccine (CattleBCG) in the next few years. In 2021, world-leading cattle TB vaccination field trials began as a result of a major breakthrough by Government scientists on the development of a new DIVA skin test to Detect Infected among Vaccinated Animals. The UK is closer to being able to vaccinate cattle than we have ever been before, but there is still a lot of work to do. Final deployment will rely on the success of the ongoing field trials, achieving Marketing Authorisations from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (for both CattleBCG and the companion DIVA skin test), gaining international recognition for both products, an IT system to record and trace vaccinated cattle, and acceptance of vaccination from across the range of stakeholders. A Government-industry collaborative working group has been established to co-design initial deployment policy proposals which will inform a public consultation. Vaccinating cattle against bTB will be a valuable addition to the toolbox but will not replace existing control measures. Maintaining biosecurity measures on farm, avoiding risky movements of cattle and complying with testing protocols remain as important as ever in the fight against bovine TB.

Consumer Goods and Food: Prices

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to introduce price controls for food and other consumer products.

Lord Benyon: The Government has no plans to introduce price controls for food.

Bracken: Asulam

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1)ecological, and (2) human health, impacts of continuing to allow emergency use of asulam to control growth of bracken after such use was denied in Wales and Scotland; and whether they have a (a) plan, or (b) timescale, for ending such authorisations.

Lord Benyon: Decisions on the regulation of pesticides are devolved. The decision to grant an emergency authorisation for the limited and controlled use of Asuloxin in England in 2023 was taken after careful consideration of the potential impacts on human and animal health and the environment. To minimise risks to human health and the environment, strict conditions have been applied to its use. These include, but are not limited to, the use of protective equipment for those applying the pesticide, unsprayed buffer zones to protect non-target terrestrial plants and aquatic organisms, and restrictions on when and where the herbicide can be sprayed to protect mammals and nesting birds. All applications for emergency authorisation are considered on their individual merits, However, emergency authorisation is not a permanent solution. The Bracken Control Group, as the Applicant for emergency authorisation, has carried out work on alternatives and the owners of Asulox are working towards standard authorisation of the product. The Minister for Food, Mark Spencer, plans to meet the company in the near future to assess progress towards a long-term solution.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Deductions

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask His Majesty's Government how many, and what proportion, of Universal Credit claims were subject to deductions in the most recent month for which data is available, broken down by parliamentary constituency; how much was the (1) total, and (2) average, sum of deductions in each constituency; and what proportion of those sums was deducted to repay advance payments.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Government recognises the importance of supporting the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. We seek to balance recovery of debt against not causing hardship for claimants and their families. Processes are in place to ensure deductions are manageable, and customers can contact the DWP Debt Management Team if they are experiencing financial hardship, to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment, or a temporary suspension, depending on their financial circumstances. Since April 2021, we have reduced the normal maximum rate of deductions in Universal Credit from 40% to 25% of a claimant’s Standard Allowance. These positive measures were put in place to support claimants to manage financial difficulties. Advances are a claimant’s benefit entitlement paid early, allowing claimants to access 100% of their estimated Universal Credit payment upfront. They ensure nobody has to wait for a payment in Universal Credit, and those who need it are able to receive financial support as soon as possible. Claimants can receive up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit award if required, resulting in 25 payments over a 24-month period. This is not a debt. The requested analysis of Universal Credit claims with a deduction in February 2023 by parliamentary constituency in Great Britain (GB) is provided in the separate spreadsheet. Data for February 2023 has been provided in line with the latest available Universal Credit Household Statistics.HL8486 data table (xlsx, 62.6KB)

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current status of the two local pilots of early warning systems instead of immediate benefit sanctions that they launched in 2019.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: Evidence from a previous Early Warning trial in 2016 showed the cost of the warning system outweighed the benefits. Since then, we have completed two small-scale proofs of concept to test a simple warning process and currently have no plans to run another test.

Department of Health and Social Care

Radiotherapy: Medical Equipment

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total number of radiotherapy machines for NHS patient use in England, and how many of those have exceeded their recommended 10-year lifespan; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of radiotherapy machines that have exceeded their recommended 10-year lifespan; and what guidance they have issued to local procurement systems for replacing radiotherapy machines that have exceeded their recommended 10-year lifespan.

Lord Markham: The total number of radiotherapy machines for National Health Service patient use in England is not held. NHS England is currently undertaking a stocktake of Linear Accelerator (LINAC) age, which will be completed in summer 2023 and is working with partners to undertake a demand and capacity review which will complete in 2023/24. The output of this work will support local systems to plan for equipment replacement. All radiotherapy equipment is subject to regular servicing, calibration, and quality assurance checks which is the responsibility of individual NHS trusts that deliver radiotherapy.The Capital Planning Guidance, published April 2022, states that integrated care systems will need to develop replacement plans as part of their multi-year capital plans, in partnership with specialised commissioners, Cancer Alliances and Radiotherapy Operational Delivery Networks, based on an assessment of equipment age, capacity and demand, opportunities to improve access and service risk.

Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust: Staff

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government how many staff currently or previously employed at the Tavistock Centre have applied to, or are expected to, move to either of the two new clinics.

Lord Markham: This information is not held centrally. It is the responsibility of the trusts providing the new services to undertake staff recruitment. They will need to include expertise in treating gender dysphoria in children, alongside other clinical disciplines, of which there is nationally a small pool of specialists. The new services will be delivered in line with the NHS England’s new interim service specification, which reflects the new clinical model set out by Dr Cass. As such, any staff that move from the Gender Identity Development Service at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust will be fully signed up to this approach. An oversight group will ensure any training delivered to staff is in line with the new clinical approach.

Tobacco

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect public policy being influenced by the commercial interests of the tobacco industry.

Lord Markham: The Government takes obligations to protect public policy from the commercial interests of the tobacco industry under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control very seriously. The ‘Guidance for government engagement with the tobacco industry’ was published on 19 June 2023 to support Government Departments and public bodies to adhere to Article 5.3 and remind them of their commitments. This document builds on established measures that the Department has put in place internally to limit interactions with the tobacco industry and ensure the transparency of the interactions that do occur. A copy is attached.Attachment (pdf, 264.2KB)

Coronavirus

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government what measuresthey are taking to ensure that those with vulnerabilities can access COVID-19 treatments in a timely manner, given the transition of COVID-19 treatment to routine pathways and the removal of important support systems such as digital enablers.

Lord Markham: Following positive National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendations for community-based COVID-19 treatments, integrated care boards (ICBs) will have a statutory responsibility for providing access from 27 June. As with other treatments, it will be for ICBs, who are closer to their local population, to determine the appropriate access arrangements within the treatment window. NHS England has written to highest-risk patients who can be digitally identified to advise them of the changes in the pathway and to advise them to contact local services as per local pathways. UK Health Security Agency, the Department and NHS England have also been working with patient groups to raise awareness of the changes as we move out of pandemic-specific arrangements. NHS England has also been working with local systems to support the development of the new pathways, and provide assurance that new arrangements will be in place to ensure access for patients, NHS England will continue to monitor the transition to routine pathways. Patients newly diagnosed with a qualifying condition or treatment regime should be advised by their treating clinician at that point that they may be eligible, and how to access services if they test positive for COVID-19. Clinicians will then consider COVID-19 as a potential diagnosis when assessing patients, determine whether the individual is at highest risk and act accordingly, in line with their clinical judgement.

IVF

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byEarl Howe on 1 April 2014 (HL6103 and HL6104) and byLord Markham on 13 June (HL8181) and 14 June (HL8241), whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has made any assessment of the revised estimate that 10–20 families per year might be assisted by mitochondrial donation techniques; what assessment they have made of the HFEA decision to continue to license the use of such techniques; and whether the number of embryos used in treatments to date in the UK might reasonably be described as low in comparison with other licensed treatments.

Lord Markham: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it has made no assessment of the revised estimate previously made by the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University, on the number of embryos used in treatment to date in the United Kingdom in comparison with other licensed treatments, as the number of treatments to date in the UK is low.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government when the minutes of the JointCommittee on Vaccinations and Immunisations meeting on 7 June will be published.

Lord Markham: The draft minutes of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) meeting which took place on 7 June 2023 are planned to be published via the GOV.UK website within six weeks of the meeting.

Coronavirus

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to support integrated care boards during the transition of COVID-19 treatments to routine pathways and to ensure equitable access across England.

Lord Markham: The Government has made available a range of treatment options for eligible hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19 and the NHS will continue to deliver treatment for COVID-19 patients in line with evidence-based recommendations from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the continued delivery of COVID-19 treatments, including where appropriate transitioning the delivery of community-based COVID-19 treatments away from COVID-19 Medicine Delivery Units to routine care pathways by the end of this month. ICBs have the flexibility to create a routine patient access pathway that best meets local needs and circumstances, including for immunocompromised patients. NHS England is working closely with local health systems and supporting ICBs to develop service delivery plans.

Coronavirus

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the UKis out of step with other countries in itseligibility restrictions for COVID-19 antiviral treatments, such as precluding those over 70 and with COVID-19 symptoms from accessing them.

Lord Markham: Here in the United Kingdom, the Government has made available a range of treatment options for eligible hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19. These are being used to treat UK patients in line with evidence-based recommendations from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), following the established processes in this area.NICE has determined eligibility of access following a review of the available evidence and taking into consideration reports such as the Independent Advisory Group’s report on higher-risk patients eligible for COVID-19 treatments.The UK’s guidance, as with the World Health Organization living guideline, have been published in MAGICapp, a global evidence ecosystem used by global partners to help formulate local access policies.

Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) inequalities in health, and (2) any increase in structural racism, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and what steps they are taking in response.

Lord Markham: The gap in the number of years different groups of people live in good health is stark and unacceptable. Health disparities exist across a variety of conditions and contribute to variations in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy.In July 2020, the then Prime Minister appointed the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities to consider the causes of persistent disparities and barriers that different ethnic minority groups face, including the role of racism. The Commission published its report in March 2021, and the Government's response, ‘Inclusive Britain’, was published in March 2022.In June 2020, Public Health England published the ‘COVID-19: review of disparities in risks and outcomes’ report, outlining the impact of COVID-19 on health inequalities. In response, the then Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care asked the Minister for Equalities, with support from the Cabinet Office Race Disparity Unit (RDU), to lead cross-government work to look at why COVID-19 was having a disproportionate impact on ethnic minority groups and to consider how the government response to this could be improved. The ‘Final report on progress to address COVID-19 health inequalities’ was published in December 2021.The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities was established in October 2021 to work across the Department, the rest of Government, the healthcare system, local Government and industry to be creative about how we shift our focus towards preventing ill health, in particular in the places and communities where there are the most significant disparities.In the white paper ‘Levelling Up the United Kingdom’, published in February 2022, the government set out a levelling up health mission to narrow the gap in healthy life expectancy (HLE) between local areas where it is highest and lowest by 2030, and increase HLE by five years by 2035. A range of action is being taken forward which will support progress on the health mission, including the development of a Major Conditions Strategy on which an interim report will be published in the summer.

Down Syndrome Act 2022

Lord Farmer: To ask His Majesty's Government how they will ensure guidance for the Down Syndrome Act 2022 is compliant with the Equality Act 2010 in respect of other genetic conditions similarly profound in their impact, such as 22q deletion and duplication syndromes.

Lord Markham: The Down Syndrome Act does not remove the duties under the Equality Act 2010 for services to assess all the needs of people they provide support to, including those with genetic conditions such as 22q deletion and duplication syndromes. We are clear that prioritising funding or resources for people with Down syndrome above other groups without proper assessment of people’s needs would be unlawful.We recognise that there are overlaps between the services that support people with Down syndrome and those that support people with other genetic conditions and/or a learning disability. The Down Syndrome Act guidance will focus on the unique support needs of people with Down syndrome. We will, however, highlight where best practice in service delivery would also be applicable to those with another genetic condition and/or a learning disability, including DiGeorge syndrome (22q11.2 deletion syndrome) and duplication syndromes.An Equality Impact Assessment will be carried out on the draft guidance once produced to ensure it does not disadvantage certain groups relative to others. There will be a full public consultation on the draft guidance. The guidance will make clear the requirements on relevant authorities in respect of the Equality Act.

HIV Infection

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement byLord Markham on 8 June (HLWS826), what estimate they have made of the number of people who have previously been diagnosed with HIV but who are not currently receiving treatment for it; and what steps they are taking to find and support those people.

Lord Markham: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) HIV Action Plan monitoring and evaluation framework showed in 2021, 147 people were diagnosed and not yet linked to specialist human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care, 4,444 people had not attended care for at least 15 months and 1,195 had been seen for HIV care but were not on treatment, corresponding to a lower estimate of 5,786 people diagnosed and not receiving treatment in 2021. UKHSA also estimate that there could be an additional 18,226 people seen for care since January 2015, with at least a 15 months gap in HIV care and not seen again by end of 2021, corresponding to an upper estimate of 24,012 people diagnosed but not on antiretroviral treatment.As part of the HIV Action Plan, we committed to ensure everyone with an HIV positive status receives adequate treatment and to optimise access, retention and re-engagement in HIV care. Therefore, we established a sub group of the HIV Action Plan implementation Steering Group, which includes UKHSA, the British HIV Association and other organisations who will provide advice on increasing the number of people retained and re-engaged in care and receiving effective medical care.

Hospital Beds

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Markham on 21 June (HL7941, HL7942 and HL7945), how they define "bed equivalents from patient flow initiatives".

Lord Markham: NHS England defines bed equivalents as beds freed up through steps taken to avoid an admission to a general and acute bed in hospital, or to support a patient to leave a general and acute bed when they are medically fit to do so. This could include for example capacity within virtual wards or hospital at home schemes.

Abortion: Drugs

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure abortion providers are accountable for verifying that abortion pills sent by post are issued only to women within the legal time limit for such pills.

Lord Markham: The Abortion Act now requires that, in relation to early medical abortion, the doctor terminating a pregnancy must be of the opinion, formed in good faith, that the pregnancy is not beyond 10 weeks. This opinion is formed following a consultation with the woman concerned. If a woman is not sure of her gestation, or if the doctor is concerned about health issues, she will be asked to attend a clinic. This certification must be recorded on form EMA1 or a similar certificate and must be kept for three years from the date on which the medicine for the treatment of the pregnancy is prescribed.

IVF

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 13 June (HL8182), how patientconfidentiality might be compromised if no adverse outcomes were reported.

Lord Markham: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that, due to the limited number of mitochondrial donation treatment outcomes to date in the United Kingdom, there is a significant possibility that when combined with other information, which may be reasonably accessed, it could lead to the identification of a person to whom the HFEA owes a duty of confidentiality.

Medical Treatments Abroad: Regulation

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to identify and prosecute unregulated overseas prescribers.

Lord Markham: The Government has no powers to prosecute unregulated overseas prescribers, but arrangements are in place to safeguard patients as follows. The UK currently recognises prescriptions from countries on an approved list. A prescription from a country not on the list would not be recognised. We will only recognise prescriptions issued by prescribers of equivalent professional status to those eligible to prescribe in the UK. We would expect all registered pharmacies and pharmacists to meet the regulatory standards set by the General Pharmaceutical Council or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland when considering dispensing any lawfully valid prescription. Any registered pharmacy or pharmacist failing to meet the relevant regulatory standards may be subject to action by the regulator.

Health Services: Screening

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to improvethe uptake of NHS health checks in England to spot early signs of a stroke, such as atrial fibrillation.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reviewPreventing illness and improving health for all: a review of the NHS Health Check programme and recommendations, published in December 2021, what progress they have made in bringing forward the recommendations for the NHS Health Check contained in that review.

Lord Markham: Following publication of the 2021 evidence-based review, the Department is taking forward a programme of work to modernise the NHS Health Check and deliver recommendations from the review. So far this has included, investing nearly £17 million for the development of an innovative digital NHS Health Check to bolster current local authority delivery of the programme. The digital health check, will be rolled out from Spring 2024, which will give users choice about where and when to have a check and enable increased overall uptake and improved efficiency of the programme. We are also improving uptake by supporting local authorities with the recovery of the programme following the COVID-19 pandemic by launching a training hub, showcasing innovative local delivery models and facilitating communities of practice, with activity reaching over 91% of pre-pandemic levels at the end of December 2022.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Council of Europe: Elections

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by John Howell MP on 8 June (HC Deb cols 925–29), what assessment they have made of the Council of Europe's role in election monitoring and observation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK government values the outstanding work the UK delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe does to champion our democratic values across the continent. We are proud of the leading role the UK Parliamentary Assembly delegates play in this vital work to observe elections and to strengthen democratic electoral processes. The UK acknowledges the value of the reports promoted at the Parliamentary Assembly in scrutinising countries who fall behind in their obligations, and look forward to their adoption under the Committee of Ministers.

Belarus: Political Prisoners

Baroness Crawley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to take any further action against the worsening situation for political prisoners in Belarus; and if so, when.

Baroness Crawley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to raise the issue of human rights abuses against political prisoners in Belarus in international forums; and if so, which forums.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is appalled by the brutal and ongoing repression that the Lukashenko regime conducts against its own people. We have already applied wide-ranging sanctions to Belarus in response to the regime's continued human rights violations, and are supporting further accountability measures including the International Accountability Platform for Belarus. The UK makes our solidarity with political prisoners clear, when possible attending trials and engaging with their families. We have raised political prisoners at the UN and OSCE and will continue to take every opportunity, both publicly and privately, to urge the Belarusian regime to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and protect the human rights of its citizens.

China: Palestinian Authority

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ‘strategic partnership’ signed between government of China and the Palestinian Authority during President Mahmoud Abbas’ visit to Beijing on 14 June and whether it will affect UK policy in the region; and what assessment they have made of the impact the ‘strategic partnership’ will have on the role of international mediators in the Middle East peace process, including the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We closely monitor the security situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) and are aware of the strategic partnership signed between China and the Palestinian Authority (PA). The UK continues to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to engage in meaningful dialogue to further the cause of peace at every opportunity. I, as Minister for the Middle East, met with Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad Malki on 5 May. I reaffirmed the UK's commitment to the Middle East peace process and the two state solution. The UK engages with the Palestinian Authority at the highest levels through the British Consulate General Jerusalem and at ministerial level.

Israel: Palestinians

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Amnesty International public statement, ‘Israel/OPT: Investigate Possible War Crimes During Israel’s Military Offensive on Gaza in May 2023’, issued on 13 June; and what plans they have, if any, to take action with international partners in relation to Amnesty’s statement.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK draws on a wide range of sources when assessing human rights issues in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We regularly raise the issue of the numbers of Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defence Forces in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli authorities. Whenever there have been accusations of excessive use of force, we raise these matters with the Israeli Government and the need for swift, transparent, and thorough investigations and, if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account. We make it clear to Israel that it is important that the security forces provide appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, particularly the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire. The Foreign Secretary contacted his Israeli counterpart at the time of the military action alluded to in the Amnesty report to urge that all actions taken were proportionate, calibrated to avoid civilian casualties, and in line with international humanitarian law. He also called for the facilitation of humanitarian access.

Syria: Development Aid

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the UK was represented at the Seventh Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the future of Syria and the region’ hosted by the EU on 14–15 June.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK's Special Representative for Syria, Ann Snow, represented the Government at the Brussels conference. We pledged up to £150 million to support Syria and the region, in addition to the £43 million we committed to support those affected by February's earthquakes. The UK is the third largest bilateral donor to the Syria crisis. The funding will enable around 65,000 Syrians per year to be less dependent on emergency aid through receiving livelihoods support, provide access to high-quality primary education in Northwest Syria and continue to support Syria's neighbours to deal with the impact of the conflict, helping mitigate the significant challenges they face and ensuring Syrian refugees are protected.

Iran: USA

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government, whether the UK was involved in the reported indirect talks between the US and Iran in Oman in May.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK did not participate in any such indirect talks in Oman in May. We remain in close contact with E3 (UK, France, Germany) and US partners to establish next steps in nuclear diplomacy with Iran. E3 Political Directors met their Iranian counterpart in Abu Dhabi on 12 June to discuss a range of issues. Iran's actions over the past month have made progress towards a diplomatic solution much more difficult.

United Nations: Reform

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need for reform of the United Nations organisation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is a strong proponent of UN reform to make it inclusive, dynamic and reinvigorated. The UN Security Council (UNSC) must become more representative of the world today and the UK has long called for its expansion, in both the permanent and non-permanent categories. Beyond the UNSC, we support the UN Secretary-General's vision for Our Common Agenda (OCA), including its goal of a UN 2.0, better adapted to the challenges of the 21st century. We are engaging to shape the OCA initiatives in order to accelerate the delivery of the Sustainable Developments Goals, and support the recipients of the UN System.

Ukraine: Chelsea Football Club

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the EU has prevented the use of proceeds from the sale of Chelsea football club to support victims of the war in Ukraine and its wider consequences; and if so, what assessment they have made of the legal basis for the EU to exercise a veto over the use of UK-based assets.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: No, the EU has not prevented the use of proceeds. An independent charitable foundation is being established to manage the proceeds from the sale. Once it has been established, a licence from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation will be required to move the proceeds to the foundation. As set out in the unilateral declaration on 30 May 2022, the government is committed to only issuing a licence which ensures that the proceeds are used for exclusively humanitarian purposes in Ukraine, and to working closely with the Portuguese Government and the European Commission on this.

Home Office

Anti-social Behaviour Orders: Football

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask His Majesty's Government how many football banning orders have been issued in each year since 2010.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask His Majesty's Government how many arrests have been made following pitch invasions in each year since 2010.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask His Majesty's Government how many arrests for the offence of entering the playing areas at football grounds have led to football banning orders in the past three football seasons.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office publishes annual figures on the number of football banning orders issued and the number of football-related arrests in England and Wales in the ‘Football-related arrests and banning orders, England and Wales’ Official Statistics publication. The latest data cover the 2021 to 2022 football season and are available here: Football-related arrests and banning orders, England and Wales: 2021 to 2022 season - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Data on the number of football banning orders issued and the number of football-related arrests for pitch incursion since the 2010 to 2011 season are published in tables 1 and 5 of the accompanying data tables.There were 516 new banning orders issued in the 2021 to 2022 football season, down by 46% since the 2010 to 2011 season.There were 313 football-related arrests for pitch incursion in the 2021 to 2022 football season, up by 30% since the 2010 to 2011 season.Data on arrests for the offence of entering the playing area at a designated football match that have led to the imposition of football banning orders is not held. A football banning order is a preventative measure which is not issued as part of a sentence, or solely based on an individual’s conviction offence. In deciding whether to make a banning order, a court may consider a range of prosecution evidence in support of a banning order application.

British Nationality: British Overseas Territories

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the reasons for delays in scheduling citizenship ceremonies and issuing certificates to British Overseas Territories citizens approved for British citizenship under the BOTC(F) process.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: For applicants in the UK, we are amending the British Nationality (Overseas Territories) Regulations 2007 so that registrars in the UK can administer the oath and pledge for British overseas territories citizenship. In the interim, Governors of overseas territories can waive the need for a citizenship ceremony on a case by case basis. We will shortly be holding citizenship ceremonies where applicants can receive both certificates.For applications made outside the UK, Governors and FCDO staff are permitted to conduct ceremonies for both British overseas territories citizenship and British citizenship. Customers in these territories, which represent the majority of cases, are unaffected.

Asylum: Housing

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what guidelines they provide to those providing accommodation to asylum-seekers to ensure that their privacy is respected and safety ensured; and whether any such guidance includes preventing unannounced visits to such accommodation, particularly in relation to accommodation for women and children.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Asylum seekers receive full induction briefings when arriving at Home Office accommodation. This briefing will include health & safety awareness, security and how access to local supporting organisations is facilitated. Whilst sites have 24/7 security, asylum seeker are permitted to come and go and are able to receive visitors.

Asylum: Children

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government, of the unaccompanied children seeking asylum whowere housed in hotels and went missingbut were subsequently found,how manywere reported to, or were found to, have been involved in (1) organised crime, and (2) county lines drug activity, during the period they were missing.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office takes the wellbeing, welfare and security of children and minors in our care extremely seriously. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with local authorities. All cases of missing children remain open, with police forces completing investigations and following any new evidence. When any young person goes missing the 'missing persons protocol' is followed and led by our directly engaged social workers. A multi-agency, missing persons protocol is mobilised involving the police and the local authority, who have a shared statutory responsibility to safeguard all children, including missing migrant children, in order to establish their whereabouts and to ensure that they are safe.

Ministry of Justice

Harassment: Internet

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people, in each of the past three years, have been prosecutedunder section 127(1) or (2) of the Communications Act 2003.

Lord Bellamy: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of prosecutions for offences under section 127(1) or (2) of the Communications Act 2003, in England and Wales, in the Outcomes by Offence tool, available via the following link: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: December 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Using the Offence filter, select ‘196 Communications Act 2003 S.127 - Sending grossly offensive message/matter by electronic communications network’.The data requested is also provided in the table below.Total number of defendants prosecuted for offences under section 127(1) or (2) of the Communications Act 2003, England and Wales, 2020 to 2022:YearCount20201,10020211,34320221,272Source: Court Proceedings DatabaseNotes:1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.2) The figures given in the table relate to defendants for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.3) The figures given in the table relate to the following offence under section 127(1) or (2) of the Communications Act 2003: '19607 - Improper use of public electronic communications network'.

Driving under Influence: Alternatives to Prison

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to launch a consultation into the efficacy of alternatives to the standard punitive sentences, such as rehabilitation, for those convicted of drug driving offences.

Lord Bellamy: The Government intends to conduct a call for evidence on parts of the Road Traffic Act which would be expected to include issues around drink and drug driving, and the offence of failure to stop and report.We are committed to making the best use of community sentences to ensure that more offenders with drugs needs are diverted into treatment into the community rather than custody where appropriate.We have an extensive programme of work to get offenders off drugs and into recovery. This includes piloting three Intensive Supervision Courts from 26 June, two with a focus on substance misuse, which will divert offenders from short custodial sentences into enhanced community-based sentences for those whose offending behaviour is driven by substance misuse and other complex needs. These sentences will involve treatment requirements, frequent random drug testing and a broad package of wraparound support to tackle the root causes of offending.More widely, we want to increase the use of Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs) which require individuals to engage in treatment in the community with their consent, as well as undergo regular drug testing to ensure compliance. We are investing additional resource to increase drug testing of offenders to enable probation to more effectively monitor compliance with these requirements. Our recruitment of over 50 new Health and Justice Co-ordinators in every probation region will also support the delivery of DRRs by working with health partners to improve access to treatment.

Treasury

Iron and Steel: Exports

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether not implementing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in the UK will pose any risk to the steel industry's ability to export.

Baroness Penn: Carbon leakage risk is currently managed by at-risk sectors, including steel, receiving a proportion of carbon allowances free of charge (free allocation) in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme. The UK ETS Authority has committed to maintain current levels of free allocation for industrial sectors until 2026. There is a further consultation at the end of 2023 to better target the remaining free allocations toward sectors considered to be at risk of carbon leakage, due to be implemented in 2026. The government has recently consulted on potential future measures to mitigate carbon leakage risks, including the potential for a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The consultation closed on 22 June 2023, and the government is considering a wide range of stakeholder responses before taking any decisions. The government will respond to the consultation in due course.

Bank Services: Interest Rates

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Penn on 13 June (HL8243), what assessment they have made of whether or not banks are passing on higher interest rates to savers; and what discussions they have had with banks on this matter.

Baroness Penn: The Treasury is committed to ensuring people are supported to save, and can access a wide range of competitive savings products. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) monitors the speed and extent of banks’ pass-through of interest rate rises to their savings products, and has made clear that firms should be able to justify these decisions. Banks are expected to pass through higher interest rates to savers as they do to mortgage holders, and we are working closely with the FCA on this important issue.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Television Licences: Non-payment

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to de-criminalise the non-payment oftelevision licence fees.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: In February 2020, HM Government launched a public consultation on decriminalising TV licence evasion. The responses highlighted the considerable stress and anxiety the criminal sanction can cause for people, including the most vulnerable in society. HM Government remains concerned that a criminal sanction for TV licence evasion is increasingly disproportionate and unfair in a modern public service broadcasting system.We will be looking at ways to ensure the BBC’s funding model is sustainable in the long-term, which will include asking whether a mandatory licence fee with criminal penalties for individual households is still appropriate.HM Government has also taken steps to support licence fee payers, introducing the Simple Payment Plan in April 2020, a flexible payment instalment scheme which allows customers to pay in fortnightly or monthly instalments throughout the year. This is available to certain customers who currently struggle to pay the TV licence fee. More information on the Simple Payment Plan and its eligibility criteria can be found on tvlicensing.co.uk.The BBC has recently published the findings of its Gender Disparity Review into TV Licence Fee evasion and set out a ten-point plan of action. It is important that the BBC make progress on that plan.

Disability: Sports

Lord Moynihan: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to develop specific sport and activity action plans for disabled people as part of their work on tackling loneliness.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: His Majesty’s Government is committed to supporting people at risk of loneliness and social isolation, including people with disabilities. Having strong social relationships play an important role in our physical and mental wellbeing, and sport has an incredible ability to reach into the places we live, reduce loneliness, and build a sense of pride and belonging.HM Government’s Tackling Loneliness Strategy set out a number of measures we will take to support those at risk of loneliness and social isolation. This includes publishing our new sport strategy, which will make sport and physical activity a core part of everyone’s daily life with a focus on supporting under-represented groups, including people with disabilities, to be more active and to participate in sport. We will also consult on and publish a new Disability Action Plan in 2023, which will include participation in social and physical activities for people with disabilities as a priority.

Employment and Sports: Disability

Lord Moynihan: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to announce measures in the forthcoming Sports Strategy to address some of the challenges faced by disabled people in sport, activity and employment.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: His Majesty’s Government is committed to tackling barriers which prevent people with disabilities from taking part in sport and physical activity, and from enjoying the physical and mental health benefits that it provides.HM Government’s Tackling Loneliness Strategy set out a number of measures we will take to support those at risk of loneliness and social isolation. This includes publishing our new sport strategy, which will make sport and physical activity a core part of everyone’s daily life with a focus on supporting under-represented groups, including people with disabilities, to be more active and to participate in sport. We will also consult on and publish a new Disability Action Plan in 2023, which will include participation in social and physical activities for people with disabilities as a priority.We will continue to work with our arm’s-length bodies, Sport England and UK Sport, and sector partners to encourage sport bodies to make sport more accessible.

Disability: Departmental Coordination

Lord Moynihan: To ask His Majesty's Government what cross-departmental plans they have to close the gap between the level of activity of disabled people and that of non-disabled people.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: His Majesty’s Government is committed to tackling barriers which prevent people with disabilities from taking part in sport and physical activity, and from enjoying the physical and mental health benefits that it provides.HM Government’s Tackling Loneliness Strategy set out a number of measures we will take to support those at risk of loneliness and social isolation. This includes publishing our new sport strategy, which will make sport and physical activity a core part of everyone’s daily life with a focus on supporting under-represented groups, including people with disabilities, to be more active and to participate in sport. We will also consult on and publish a new Disability Action Plan in 2023, which will include participation in social and physical activities for people with disabilities as a priority.We will continue to work with our arm’s-length bodies, Sport England and UK Sport, and sector partners to encourage sport bodies to make sport more accessible.

Football: Turkey

Lord Birt: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the recommendations of the Rodrigues inquiry into events at the 2022 Champions League Final were applied by UEFA and the Turkish authorities ahead of and during the 2023 final in Istanbul.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Government has always been clear that an independent investigation was needed to establish what happened on the night of the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final.The Government welcomed the outcome of the independent review, which reflected the experiences of fans that evening, and the action plan published by UEFA to implement the recommendations of that review.The Minister for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society was in Istanbul to observe the delivery of this year’s Champions League Final by UEFA and the Turkish authorities.Discussions with fan representatives and others indicate that UEFA’s engagement has improved from last year. We continue to consult UEFA, the FA, fan representatives and others to ensure that we can continue to learn lessons for next year’s final at Wembley, as well as the UK and Ireland bid to host EURO 2028.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Solar Power

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England’s report Shout from the rooftops, published on 23 May, regarding the recommendation for a target for 60 per cent of solar energy to come from rooftop, brownfield, and grey spaces; and whether they plan to set such a target.

Lord Callanan: The Government is aiming for 70 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2035 which will require significant increases in deployment of all types of solar – rooftop on domestic, industrial, and commercial buildings; and ground-mount mainly on brownfield, industrial and low and medium grade agricultural land. The Government has no plans to set sub targets for solar as flexibility is needed to allow for technology changes and emerging opportunities out to 2035.

Fertilisers: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Lord Ravensdale: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rise of greenhouse gas emissions associated with fertiliser productionsince 1990; and whatplans they have for lowering such emissions.

Lord Callanan: UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions from the fertiliser manufacturing industry between 1990 and 2020 (the latest available year data) have fluctuated between 525 and 812 thousand tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent, with no clear trend. To reduce future emissions the Government is promoting better nutrient use efficiency through the Sustainable Farming Incentive. The Government is supporting the development of new technologies to manufacture less environmentally damaging fertiliser products through the Farming Innovation Programme and plans to reform the fertiliser regulatory regime.

Geothermal Power

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to support any deep geothermal pilot projects to provide power and heating, whether by tax relief, indirect investment or otherwise.

Lord Callanan: Geothermal technologies that generate electricity are eligible for the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is the Government’s main mechanism for supporting low carbon electricity generation. The application window for the next Allocation Round opened on 30th March 2023 and concludes in Summer. Funding support is available for heat network projects using deep geothermal from The Green Heat Network Fund which offers capital grants to support the commercialisation and construction of new low and zero carbon heat networks. It has recently awarded Cornwall Council £22 million for the Langarth Deep Geothermal Heat Network which is the UK’s first deep geothermal project.

Iron and Steel: Electricity

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government which options they are considering to provide competitive wholesale electricity prices to the steel industry.

Lord Callanan: Powering Up Britain – Energy Security Plan sets out the steps the Government is taking to ensure the UK is more energy independent, secure and resilient as well as our goal for Britain to have among the cheapest wholesale electricity prices in Europe by 2035. The Government has also announced new measures to support Britain’s Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs) faced with high electricity prices. The British Industry Supercharger will reduce policy costs by exempting eligible firms from the costs of renewable energy obligations and the GB Capacity Market. It will offer support with network charges and bring an increase in the capacity market exemption, for which we are currently carrying out a public consultation. This is in addition to other ongoing support providing compensation for the indirect costs of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme and the Carbon Price Support mechanism.

Cabinet Office

Covid-19 Inquiry

Lord Cruddas: To ask His Majesty's Government when the UK COVID-19inquiry will complete; and whether they will put a cap on the (1) time frame, and (2) cost, permitted.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Under the Inquiries Act 2005, the process, timing and procedure of the Inquiry are decisions for the Inquiry’s independent Chair, Baroness Hallett. The Chair is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the Inquiry’s work and she has been clear that she intends to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

History: Publications

Lord Godson: To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil servants are allocated to the Official History Programme; and what are their responsibilities.

Lord Godson: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the titles and authors of works commissioned under the Official History Programme but not yet published; when these titles were commissioned; and when they are due to be published.

Lord Godson: To ask His Majesty's Government when the last 10 Official History titles published by Routledge were commissioned by the Official History Programme.

Lord Godson: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Histories, Openness and Records Unit at the Cabinet Office still exists; if not, when and in what manner it ceased to exist; and where its former responsibilities and functions now lie.

Lord Godson: To ask His Majesty's Government when Tessa Stirling left her role as Head of the Histories, Openness and Records Unit at the Cabinet Office.

Lord Godson: To ask His Majesty's Government what its response was to the 2009 review of the Official History Programme led by Sir Joe Pilling.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: There are currently no Civil Servants allocated to the Official Histories Programme. Works commissioned under the Official History Programme but not yet published are the fifth and final volume of the Official History of the Criminal Justice System and the second and final volume of the Official History of the Joint Intelligence Organisation. It would not be possible to answer when titles were commissioned without disproportionate effort. However, this would have been well in excess of 10 years ago. We do not have any further prospective publishing dates at this time. The Histories, Openness and Records Unit (HORU) was absorbed into the Knowledge and Information Management Unit (KIMU) in 2008. This is now known as the Cabinet Office Public Records and Archives (COPRA) Unit. The last Head of the Official History Programme retired from the Cabinet Office over 7 years ago. The Government did not publish a response to the 2009 review of the Official History Programme led by Sir Joseph Pilling.

Department for Education

Children and Young People: Asylum

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what restrictions there are on the provision of free school, and other public, transport to children and young people who are from asylum-seeking families.

Baroness Barran: The department’s school travel policy aims to ensure that no child of compulsory school age is unable to access education because of a lack of transport. Children of families seeking asylum in the UK are eligible for free home to school travel on the same basis as UK citizens. Their immigration status is not taken into account.Local authorities must arrange free travel to school for children aged 5 to 16 who attend their nearest school and cannot walk there due to the distance, route safety, or as a result of special educational needs, disability or mobility problems. There are additional rights to free travel for low-income families aimed at helping them exercise school choice.Fares, concessions and operating criteria for public transport are set by transport operators themselves. The criteria, including the age at which any discount or concessions are made available for children and young people, are decided locally.